Solar energy represents an attractive source of clean, renewable energy. For many years, photovoltaic cells have been used in attempts to efficiently tap into this energy source. Photovoltaic cells convert light—be it light from the sun or otherwise—into electrical energy. For example, one kind of a photovoltaic cell contains layers of a semiconductor material such as silicon, which are doped to form a p-n junction. Light absorbed by the silicon creates charge carriers which can travel across the p-n junction, producing a current. The power generated by the cell can be tapped and utilized like other electrical power sources.
However, current photovoltaic devices have many drawbacks. Despite constant efforts at improvement, their efficiency at converting light to electrical energy remains low, and their fabrication cost is high. Further, they are often produced in bulky, rigid arrays, limiting their versatility.
There is a need for improved photovoltaics that offer improved performance and that can be easily installed and used in variety of applications both terrestrial and extra-terrestrial.